Unfamiliar Home
by VincitOmniaVeritas
Summary: Link wakes up after pulling the Master Sword to a Hyrule he barely recognizes. With little in the way of guidance, he sets out to find some sense of familiarity. Instead he finds turmoil in a land he isn't sure is still his own. Oneshot.


**AN:** Thanks for checking out my story! This is a one-shot based of OoT. I may make it into a series based on response and how much time I have. Any reviews and critiques are greatly appreciated. I generalize some of the OoT canon in this piece, because I am assuming you remember the game. You'll know what I mean when you come across it. Also be sure to read my author's note at the end, cheers.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Legend of Zelda.

**!**

A steady rain poured over Hyrule field, covering the once vibrant land in mud and gray.

A lone horse trudged through the muddy landscape, headed south at a snails pace. The escape from Lon Lon had taken a lot out of Epona. But she, stubborn as ever, wouldn't be stopped by fickle rain. Her rider was hunched over the saddle, using his shield as a brief respite from the cold. The pointed green hat he always wore stuck to his hair and back, weighing down on his already tired body.

But Link took solace in the fact that he'd found two familiar things in this now unfamiliar place.

Rauru had warned him.

Sheik had been blunt, in an otherwise mysterious conversation.

_"This is not the Hyrule you left. You'd best not expect it to be," Sheik stated in a wispy voice. _

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You will see... soon. Do not let your emotions overcome you. They will be your downfall." Sheik took a step back, and with a swing of an arm disappeared in a flash of light. Leaving more questions than answers. _

Link wasn't sure about the Sheikah. He wanted to trust him... or her, he couldn't tell. But so far his whole world had been turned upside down. The warnings hadn't prepared him for what he saw when he exited the temple.

!

Smoking ruins. The once bustling town of wood and stone was now nothing more than crumbled piles long forgotten. Fires still burned, clouding out the sun in a constant overcast. That was nothing compared to the townspeople. Grotesque, rotted creatures. Link could still hear their screeches. Full of endless agony. It was haunting, and Link had a feeling those weren't going to be the worst he came across.

Not knowing where to go, Link headed to the first familiar site he found, Lon Lon Ranch. In the center of Hyrule field, it stood unchanged against the vastly different landscape. At least in appearance. He found Malon, but it wasn't his Malon. There was no sparkle, no spring in her step... no singing. She was beaten down and lifeless. Ingo had somehow taken over, and Talon was nowhere to be found. But there was one ray of hope in Lon Lon.

Epona had grown mighty in 7 years, and maintained her rambunctious personality. She may have been the only reason Malon was holding on. When Link inquired to Ingo about taking Epona, he laughed in his face and said he'd race him for her. He didn't recognize Link as the lad who came to Lon Lon all those years ago. The lad who befriended Epona, something no one other than Malon had accomplished.

The first lap was rough. Link was still not used to his matured body. But he gained his rhythm back and tore ahead of Ingo in the final lap. The victory earned him a knock over the head and a night locked in the barn. He was there for a day until he figured out how to use the Hookshot contraption Sheik had given him. Unfortunately, Ingo had called for soldiers from what now was Ganondorf's castle as soon as he had locked Link up. So Link, jumping from the barn balcony, found himself surrounded.

There were four of them, dressed in black armor and red chainmail from head to toe. Two held spears and the others held broadswords. All flourished at the boy in green. One with a broadsword stepped forward. He was bigger than the others, taller than six feet and built like an ox. He removed his helmet and Link's eyes widened. It was Sir Ricard, former Captain of the King's Guard. Link would recognize that face anywhere. He had been the only guard to catch Link sneaking into the castle. Of course Link was taken straight to the King, who while peeved that Link had been getting in unnoticed, knew he was friends with Zelda and let Link go on his way. The King had been a caring man. Sir Ricard was not pleased with this. They'd had somewhat of a rivalry in Link's childhood. Ricard trying to get Link thrown out, and Link and Zelda playing pranks on him. But although Link may not have liked him personally, Ricard had always been loyal to the King.

Obviously, he was mistaken.

Ricard had three gashes across his helmet, and three red stripes tattooed under his left eye. A signal of rank, as the others with him only had one. He smirked at Link, a knowing glint in his eye.

"Well, look who it is. The pretty boy from the forest. I can't say I expected you. It's been awhile."

Malon had run up to see what was happening, and overheard Ricard's comment. What did he mean '_pretty boy from the forest?_' She had only ever heard of one boy from the forest. And that was...

"Link?" A glint of hope appeared in her sunken eyes.

Ricard turned to Malon, "Aye, the scoundrel from another lifetime. But he won't be causing any trouble this time around. Take him."

The three other guards were on Link before he could react. One on each arm, and the other with a spear to his side. Link had his sword and shield on his back, but couldn't free his arms. He wasn't sure what he would do if he were able to free them. The sword and shield were unused.

"What are you doing!? He hasn't done anything wrong! Let him go!" Malon rushed by Ricard and tried to pull the nearest guard off Link. Ricard grabbed Malon by the back of her dress, and with a sharp thud hit her across the face. She crumpled to the ground holding her cheek.

"NO!" Link spun and ripped his arms from the grasp of the soldiers. Grabbing the spear pointed at him, he jerked the soldier carrying it towards him, and with an elbow dropped him to the dirt. Before the other soldiers knew what was happening, he twirled the spear over his head and brought it across the face of the soldier to his left. He brought the spear down to his side and faced Ricard. Then paused and looked down at his hands, and back to the two soldiers lying unconscious behind him. There was surprise on everyone's face, but none more than on Link's. 'How...' But he had no time to react as the third soldier ran at him brandishing his broadsword. Link dove to the side and clumsily wrenched his sword out of its scabbard. He hopped backwards, barely avoiding a horizontal slash as the soldier advanced. The soldier prepared a vertical strike and Link took advantage of the wind up. He stepped in close and threw a forearm to the soldier's nose. Stepping to the right, Link tore off his helmet and slammed the pommel of the Master Sword into the side of the soldier's head.

Link stepped away from the three bodies and found Ricard regarding him with a glint in his eye.

"You don't know how to use that sword do you boy? Three men down, not a single cut between them." Ricard drew his sword and slowly advanced towards Link.

"Traitor"

Ricard paused as the words hung in the air. Barely more than a whisper. Link was seething. The strike on Malon had set him off, but now he had time to think and feel. And what he felt was anger.

"They trusted you."

"And now they're dead. The King was a fool, he didn't deserve the throne. Ganondorf is the most powerful man Hyrule has ever seen. I simply aligned my loyalties with the winning side." Ricard grinned. "And I was handsomely rewarded when I brought the King's head."

Link charged at Ricard and swung the Master Sword as hard as he could across Ricard's torso, but Ricard was no longer there. He was gone before the strike had started. Link felt a boot slam into his side as he was thrown off his feet. He jumped to his feet and turned to see Ricard openly laughing, his sword dangling at his side.

"I can still see the surprise on the King's face when he felt my sword in his belly."

Link let out a yell and charged once again. This time he tried a vertical slice, and Ricard blocked with his own sword. Then, before Link could recoil, he spun and the flat of his sword collided with the side of Link's head.

When the blackness cleared from the edge of his vision, Link looked up to see Ricard standing over him. His sword against Link's neck.

"Did you really think you had a chance? You wouldn't kill me if I let you. You don't have the gall. Goodbye, pretty boy."

Ricard raised his sword, and was thrown over Link's body as a mass of auburn and white collided with him. Epona reared her legs and let out a terrifying neigh. Link scrambled to his feet and dashed at Ricard who was crawling towards his sword, which had flown out of his hand. Link landed a kick across Ricard's face, then put a foot on his shoulder and rolled him onto his back. Ricard smiled, seeing their situation now reversed, as the Master Sword hovered above him.

"You won't do it. You can't." Ricard said, not sounding worried at all. "You're just a kid, pretty b-"

Ricard stopped and looked down to see the Master Sword sunk into his chest. The sword gleaming between the gap in his armor, piercing the chainmail like it was parchment. Then looked up, and the last thing he ever saw was Link's wide eyes looking down at him. The fear evident on his features.

Link stumbled back and fell to his knees, staring at the Master Sword protruding from Sir Ricard's lifeless body. The sword looked like it had in the pedestal, shining in contrast to the overcast sky.

It began to rain.

Link looked down at his shaking hands. Much larger, clumsier, than they were... what had Rauru said? Seven years ago?

What the hell was going on? He remembered entering the Temple, the three stones, pulling the Master Sword, then all went blank. Nothing. Until he woke in the Chamber of Sages not 2 moons ago.

He was an adult now, a man... a _killer_.

He looked back to the dead Captain, as blood slowly crept from the body as though it was trying to escape the evil that had held it for so long. Link had killed before, the monsters when he was younger. But never another human. Now he had blood on his hands.

Heat washed over the side of Link's face as Epona nipped Link's hair to bring him out of his reverie. He scratched under her ears and leaned on her, closing his eyes with a labored sigh.

"Thank you girl, I owe you my life." She snorted in response, as if it was nothing.

That, above all things, scared Link. How helpless he had been. When he was younger, Link had become quite the fighter. He was quick and adept with his Kokiri weaponry. But the Kokiri Sword was a dagger compared to the Master Sword. Now he felt clumsy, uneven.

He should be dead. A failure before he could begin... begin what? Link didn't even know for certain. The details of his duty to free the sages were still unclear. But he was alive because of Epona, and that realization was frightening. He was going to have to adapt to his new body, and quickly. There was no alternative. The goddesses had given him a second chance. Taking out the first two soldiers had been completely reactionary. No thought, only action. But as his short bout with Ricard showed, he couldn't depend on those situations to survive.

"Link?" He had forgotten about Malon. There was a deep red mark on the side of her face where she was struck. Link felt some of his anger return, but remembered Sheik's words. _"Do not let your emotions overcome you."_ The Sheikah was right. He reacted when Ricard struck Malon out of anger, but he had to act right? They were going to arrest him.

Malon came up to Link and buried her head in his chest.

"I can't believe its actually you. After all this time. I didn't even recognize you. You look... so different."

Link opened his mouth to speak when a horn sounding in the distance cut him off. Malon jumped back from him with a squeak.

"Oh no, this must have only been the first group. More are coming, Link you have to go!" Link could hear the fear in her words.

"But what about you? You may get blamed for this!"

But Malon didn't answer. Her eyes widened, and Link followed her gaze to the ranch entrance, where five soldiers entered the ranch on horseback. Their gaze hovered over the bodies, pausing at Ricard's body where the Master Sword remained, and turned to Link and Malon. With a bellow, the soldiers charged. Link grabbed Malon and threw her to the side before diving away from the hooves and swords bearing down on him. Epona was at his side in a second and he scrambled to get on the saddle. As soon as he mounted he squeezed his legs and barked the command to run towards Ricard's body. As they passed Link leaned over to grab the sword, but it slipped from his grip. The rain made the handle too slick. He slowed Epona and hopped over her back, immediately having to drop into a forwards roll to dodge another pass from a soldier. Running through the now sopping grass of the corral, Link stopped and wrenched the Master Sword free. Only to turn and see the five soldiers surrounding him. There was a standoff where no one spoke, Link turning slowly with the Master Sword in hand, each side waiting for the other to move.

They stood there for what seemed like hours, Malon could only watch in fear from the shelter of the barn. Until one of the horsemen got anxious and charged his steed forward, lashing out at Link, who reacted by diving under him and sliding across the muddy grass to open space. He hustled to his feet and called for Epona. As soon as he was in the saddle he realized he was headed for the back of the ranch, all five of Ganondorf's minions in tow. A quick pang of fear hit him as he thought he was trapped, but Epona was picking up the pace. She headed for the back wall of the ranch, lower than the others by a few feet, but still much to high. They had no choice.

Link turned around to meet Malon's eyes and yelled his oath, "I'll come back for you! I promise!" He didn't have time to see her nod, and a slight sparkle in her eye. She knew he would keep his word.

!

And so Link found himself in the rain. Heading south, his mind plagued by the guilt of leaving Malon and fear of the future. The horsemen couldn't make the jump over the wall, and by the time they exited the ranch Link was long gone. But the look on Ricard's face lingered, along with the feeling as Link watched the life drain from his eyes. Rauru and Sheik were right. This wasn't his Hyrule. Hell, he wasn't the same Link. The Master Sword sat unsheathed across his lap. Sir Ricard's blood long since washed off by the persistent rain, bleeding onto his tunic to join the mud and rain.

What had happened to Hyrule? Rauru and Sheik said it was different, but words couldn't prepare him for what he experienced since he left the Temple. All he could do now is press forward and find answers. So he headed for the forest; the only home he had ever known. Holding onto a glimmer of hope that his childhood home, and his never-aging family that inhabited it, had been untouched by the darkness that covered the rest of the land. Especially the one who had always been there for him. The one he could count on through thick and thin. It was the thought of her that drove him forward with hope, towards the tall, dark trees of his childhood home.

!

**AN:** Well there it is. This is actually my first piece of fiction I've ever written. Ever. But that doesn't mean I want leeway. Any constructive criticism about my writing whether it be organization, style, or grammar is greatly appreciated. Yes, I had an OC with Sir Ricard, but I think he helps show how much Hyrule changed when Link was gone. I also realize it is pretty dark and angsty, but in my opinion that is exactly how a lot of the adult portion of OoT is, especially the beginning. I tried to convey that Link isn't comfortable yet, he will struggle fighting in his new body. He has to adapt and improve as he goes, along with coming to terms that everything he knows has changed. In the end he has hope that the Forest will be safe and he can find refuge with Saria. But as we know from the game he doesn't get that respite, and its an ominous feeling knowing what Link doesn't at this point.

Review and let me know what you thought! Cheers.


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